Buggy or horse safari Side: what really separates them
On paper they look alike: both leave the resort strip, both head into the green country behind the coast, both come with a hotel transfer. In practice they sit at opposite ends of the scale. The buggy is noisy, dusty and hands-on; you steer, you brake, you pick your line through ruts and splash stops. A horse safari, as our sister site describes it, is quiet and unhurried, with a guide leading and the horse doing the walking.
That makes the comparison less about value and more about mood. Do you want to come back with dust in your hair, or with the smell of pine and the sound of hooves in your head? Both are good holiday days for the right person.
What our buggy safari is
These details come from our own tour record; the buggy is the only product on this site.
- Machine: an automatic buggy, steered with a wheel and pedals, with the seat inside the vehicle
- Route: an 18 km loop where the surface keeps changing from forest track to bare dirt, with bumps, dust and the odd stream to splash through
- Time out: approximately 4–4.5 hours from hotel to hotel
- Departure slots: 08:00, 11:00 and 13:00 for the activity, with pickup earlier
- Fares: €30 for whoever drives, €15 for whoever rides along, both settled on the tour day
- Ages: drivers from 16, passengers from 6
- Licence: leave it in your suitcase, as the buggies run only on the operator's private off-road course, which no public road crosses
- Pace: set by the guide, with a compulsory practice drive first
What the horse safari on our sister site is
Our sister site sidehorsesafari.com sets out the one-hour Side horse safari on its own pages, including its current fare and its rule on how old riders must be. We leave those two points to the sister site, because that is where they are maintained. Its records say the following.
- Ride: about one hour in the saddle at a relaxed walking pace, about three hours hotel to hotel
- Scenery the sister site describes: shady trails through pine woods, open country inland from Side, then a sandy section by the Mediterranean shore
- Experience: none needed, beginners welcome, with a horse matched to each rider
- Included there: round-trip hotel transfer by air-conditioned vehicle, short instruction and a safety briefing, a guide throughout, and a riding helmet available for every rider
- Not included there: photos and video bought at the riding centre, food and drinks
- Pickup areas there: Gündoğdu, Çolaklı, Evrenseki, Kumköy, Side, Sorgun, Titreyengöl, Kızılağaç, Kızılot and Çenger, with the pickup time confirmed the day before
- Not suitable there: pregnancy or serious back and mobility problems
- Terms there: cancel for free until 48 hours ahead; bookings close a day in advance, and you pay on the day
- Fare and minimum rider age: see the sister site, which publishes them
Who each one suits
The horse safari suits guests who want nature at walking pace. If the idea of engines and dust leaves you cold, or you want a quieter morning with a partner, the sister site's ride through pine forest and along the shore is the gentler choice. It is also shorter overall, about three hours from hotel to hotel by the sister site's account, so it leaves more of the day free.
The buggy is for guests who like to keep their hands busy. You steer, you brake, you feel every rut through the seat, and you return with dust on your sleeves. A couple can divide the jobs: one takes the wheel, the other comes along for half the driver's fare. Children from 6 to 15 travel as passengers together with a driver of at least 16.
Both sites flag back problems. The sister site lists serious back and mobility problems as not suitable for riding; for our buggy, anyone with back or neck trouble should ask us before booking, because the vehicle shakes, and the passenger seat may suit better. Pregnancy rules out both. When a health question is in doubt, a medical professional should have the final word.
How to choose between them
Picture the moment you will remember. If it is a quiet stretch of sand with a horse beneath you, the sister site is where to look. If it is the buggy sliding a little in the dirt as you steer through a bend, stay here. Neither choice is wrong.
Then check the practical side. Our buggy runs three departures a day, at 08:00, 11:00 and 13:00; each is the time the activity departs, while the transfer collects you earlier at a time confirmed with your booking. Budget approximately 4–4.5 hours door to door. The horse ride, per the sister site, takes about three.
If you are torn, or your group is split, WhatsApp us at +90 536 603 75 84. We will answer the buggy questions straight and point you to the sister site for anything about horses.
What the buggy day includes
The routine at the base does not vary. Registration comes first. The information briefing then covers the vehicle, the way its controls work, the route, group order and how stopping works; the safety briefing that follows deals with keeping behind the guide, leaving a safe gap and the rules on overtaking. Once the vehicle has been explained, each driver goes out on the practice drive, and the guide judges who is ready for the main safari. Whoever does not drive comes along as a passenger.
No money changes hands before the day itself, and no card details are taken online. If your holiday plans move, cancelling is free right up to 48 hours before the start.
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in the nine Side-area resorts we serve
- A buggy for the safari and a helmet worn throughout
- Information briefing, safety briefing, vehicle explanation and practice drive
- A professional guide on the route
- Insurance, where applicable under the operating policy
- Changing cabins and showers once you are back at the base
- Extras to budget for yourself: goggles, a bandana, snacks, drinks and any pictures the base crew sell